Pessary applicator



Jan. 4, 1938. SCHLE'lCl-{ER 2,104,275

PESSARY APPLICATOR Filed May 11 19:57

./N VENTO/2 2 7 LAWRENCE 5MM/CHER BYM,MMMJM7 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE PESSARY 'APPLICATOR Lawrence Schleicher, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 11, 1937, Serial No. 141,940

10 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a pessary applicator of the general character embodied in my copending application for patent Serial No. 46,797, filed Oct. 25, 1935, and wherein means is provided to effect application of a pessary to the cervix, automatically upon insertion of the pessary into the vagina.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pessary applicator embodying such structural and functional simplification as will reduce its working parts to anabsolute minimum without loss of function, and in fact with aldistinct improvement in operation by effecting the positive release of the pessary from the applicator l5 in the position necessary for accurate placement of the pessary over the cervix, so as to insure occlusion of the cervix by an impervious barrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pessary applicator which is structurally characterized by a few simple parts capable of being manufactured and assembled inexpensively to produce an easily manipulated, durable, and sanitary instrument to which a pessary can be applied for insertion into the vagina and application to the cervix with the utmost ease and dispatch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pessary applicator embodying means for maintaining the pessary connected to the applicator` should the pessary not be released therefrom in the intended manner, whereby to prevent the pessary from being left inv the vaginal cavity in an improper position upon withdrawal' of the applicator, and enabling the pessary to be withdrawn with the applicator for re-insertion into the vagina.

A still further 'object of the invention is to'provide a pessary applicator including means for displacing tissue on the ceiling of the vaginal cavity during insertion of the pessary and in such relationship thereto as to create suflicient space in the region of the cervix for the reception of the pessary in an effective occluding position when released from the applicator.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations, arrangements and novel functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a schematic view ofv a portion of the female anatomy, showing the applicator inserted into the vagina preparatory to releasing the pessary over the cervix;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the applicator; Figure 3 is a view in side elevation partly (Cl. 12B-127) broken away, and showing the applicator with the pessary supported thereby;

Figure 41s a View similar to Figure 3 and showing the positions of the working parts at the instant of releasing the pessary.

Referring specifically tothe drawing, the present embodiment of the invention comprises an elongated rigid support S providing a handle I0 and a head II forming a continuation thereof at one end. The free end of the head is provided with a notch I2 to receive the elastic rim R of a conventional soft rubber pessary P, and the opposite end of the head is provided with a hookshaped guard and keeper lug I3 which projects from the side I 4 of the head and co-acts there- \with to denne a recess I5 open towards thefree end of the head to receive the rim R of the pessary at a point diametrically opposite to the point at which the rim co-acts with the not'ch I2.

The head is provided with a pocket I 8 freely receiving a cervix-actuated pessary latching or holding member in the form of a latch arm I1 which is mounted at one end by a pin I8 adjacent the free end of the head, for pivotal movement to occupy holding and releasing positions as shown respectively in Figures 3 and 4. A coil spring I9 bearing against the bottom wall 20 of the pocket I6, and seating in a socket 2| in the arm, urges the latter to its holding position wherein the free end of the arm is adapted to engage the lug I 3 to limit movement of the arm under the action of the spring.

The free end of the arm is oppositely beveled at 22-22 to provide an end edge 23 which spans the open side of the recess I5, and is recessedat 24 to provide a bill 25, all for the purpose of facilitatlng and insuring release of the pessary from the arm during the operation of the invention which is as follows:

The pessary P is applied to the head Il by a movement of its rim R across the exposed surface 26 of the arm I1 towards the recess I5, with sulcient pressure upon the arm to depress or move the latter to its releasing position so as to enable the rim to enter the recess I5 and be confined therein by the end edge 23 which spans the recess upon the return of the arm to its holding position under the action of the spring I9.

The rim of the pessary is now stressed into elongated form and seated in the notch I2 so that the latter will co-act with the arm I1 to releasably retain the pessary in its stressed position shown in Figure 3 and in broken lines in Figure 2, for insertion into the vagina.

The handle I0 is now grasped, and the head I I with the pessary applied thereto inserted into the vagina, it being noted that the rounded and laterally offset portion 21 of the handle functions to press against the floor of the vagina, and sufficiently enlarge the latter for diametrically opposed points of the rim R to be correlated respectively with the posterior cul-de-sac A and the anterior cul-de-sac B. Thus upon shifting the head laterally towards the cervix, the latter will co-act with the surface 28 of the arm through the intervening membranous wall of the pessary, to move the arm to its releasing position shown in Figure 4, whereby to eifect the instantaneous release of the pessary from the end edge 23 and from the notch I2 as the energy of the stressed rim is utilized in tending to restore the rim to its normal shape in sealing contact with the tissues.

The extreme simplicity of the mode of operation to positively and accurately release the pessary automatically will be readily appreciated. as it will be evident that it is only necessary for the end edge 23 of the arm to move a short distance into the pocket I6 and thus permit the rim of the pessary to be instantly withdrawn from the recess i and entirely cleared from the arm, under the tendency of the rim to return to its normal circular form. The small area presented by the end edge 23 of the arm to the pessary rim, and the inclination of this edge away from the rim in a direction towards the bill 25, overcomes any tendency of the rim to stick or become jammed in a manner which would adversely afl'ect the complete freeingiof the pessary from the instrument, whereby to practically eliminate the possibility of an ineiective positioning of the pessary over the cervix.

It is to be noted that should the rim of the pessary become disengaged from the notch I 2 as a result of improper insertion of the instrument into the vagina, or from any other cause, the keeper lug I3 will co-act with the arm I1 to maintain the pessary connected to the instrument for withdrawal therewith preparatory to a second insertion, ratherthan leave the pessary in an ineiective position in the vagina when the instrument is withdrawn therefrom.

Furthermore, it will be noted that the keeper lug also functions to displace tissue in advance thereof on the ceiling of the vaginal cavity during insertion of the instrument into the vagina, so as to create suilicient space therein for theI reception of the pessary in an effective occluding position when released from the instrument.

What is claimed is:

1. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina; a cervix-actuated member movably mounted on the support to occupy holding and releasing positions; means on the support co-actable with one end of said member to retain a pessary on the support; means for urging said member to holding position; and means on the support disposed to co-act with said end of the member in preventing disengagement of the pessary therefrom so long as the member occupies holding position.

2. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina; a cervix-actuated member movably mounted on the support to occupy holding and releasing positions; means on the support co-actable with one end of said member to retain ,a pessary on the support; means for urging said member to holding position; and means on the support defining a keeper for the 'member'in its urged direction and co-actable with the member in preventing disengagement of the pessary therefrom when the member occupies holding podtion.

3. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina; a cervix-actuated member movably mounted on the lsupport to occupy holding and releasing positions; means on the'support co-actable` with one end oi' said member te retain a pessary on the support; means for urging said member to holding position; land a lug on the support co-acting therewith to define a recess receiving the pessary rim when correlated with said end of the member; said lug being disposed to limit the movement of the member in its urged direction and co-actable with the member in preventing disengagement of the pessary therefrom when the member occupies holding position.

4. An applicator of the class described ccmprising an elongated support having a pocket therein at one end; a cervix-actuated latch arm operating in said pocket and pivoted on the support adjacent said one end thereof for movement to occupy holding and releasing positions; means on the support co-actable with the free end of said arm when in holding position, to retain a pessary on the support; and means for urging the arm to holding position.

5. An applicator of the class described comprising an elongated support having a'pocket therein at one end; a cervix-actuated latch arm operating in said pocket and pivoted on the support adjacent said one end thereof for movement to occupy holding and releasing positions; means on the support co-actable with the free end of said arm when in holding position, to retain a pessary on the support; means for urging the arm to holding position; and a hooked stop lug on the support disposed to limit movement of the arm in its urged direction and co-actable with the arm when in holding position to prevent disengagement of the pessary therefrom.

6. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina and having a pocket therein; a cervix-actuated member operating in the pocket and pivotally mounted at one end on the support for movement to occupy a holding position wherein its other end projects from the pocket, and a releasing position wherein said other end is received in the pocket; means on the support co-actable with said other end of the member to retain a pessary on the support when the member occupies holding position; and means for urging the member to holding position.

7. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina; coacting means on the support including a movably mounted latching member for holding a pessary on the support; means for urging said member to latching position; and a keeper on the support co-actable with said member when in latching position, to prevent disengagement of the pessary therefrom.

8. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina and having means adapted to be engaged by the rim of a pessary; a latching member movably mounted on the support and adapted to be engaged at one end by the rim of the pessary for co-action with said means in holding the pessary on the support; means for` urging said member to latching position; and a stop on the support co-actable with said member when in latching position to limit movement of the member by the urging means.

9. An applicator of the class described comprising a support insertable into the vagina; coacting means on the support adapted to be engaged by the rim of a pessary at opposed points to retain the pessary in a position for insertion into the vagina; means for releasing the pessary from said co-acting means; and means for maintaining the pessary connected to the support at one of said points should the pessary become disengaged from the respective one of said co-acting means at the other of said points during the inserting operation whereby to enable the pessary to be withdrawn from the vagina by the support.

10. An applicator of the class described comprising Aa support insertable into the vagina; coacting means on the support adapted to be engaged by the rim of a pessary at opposed points to retain the pessary in a position for insertion into the vagina; cervix-actuated means for releasing the pessary from said co-acting means; and means correlated with one of said co-acting means for maintaining the pessary connected to the support should the pessary become disengaged from the other of said co-acting means without a releasing operation of the cervix-actuated means, whereby to compel the pessary to be withdrawn from the vagina by the support.

LAWRENCE SCHLEICHER. 

